Inside the Wood 1917

Harald Giersing made this painting, "Inside the Wood," with oil on canvas. It's undated, but feels like a moment, an experience caught in paint. The greens here are so juicy, aren't they? Thick and opaque, laid down in blocky strokes, like he's building a forest instead of just painting one. It’s like Giersing is wrestling with the paint, trying to pin down this feeling of being surrounded by trees, light filtering through the leaves. Look at the way the dark greens in the center pull you in, they create this sense of depth. The color is applied in such a way that it feels like you can almost smell the damp earth and hear the rustling leaves. It reminds me a little of Emil Nolde, who also used color in such an expressive way. Maybe it’s about suggesting, not defining, letting the painting breathe and shift with your gaze.